Stayed at the arena for 4 nights. Staff were very polite and helpful, rooms were more than adequate. Dinner and lunches seemed expensive by local standards, and charged in euros. Also, breakfast coffee and fresh orange juice was not part of the fare. The juice was obviously powdered and added water.

A highlight of my recent holiday in Istanbul was a Turkish cooking class offered by the Arena Hotel. The hotel chef along with Naz who provided the necessary translations supervised our preparation of some classic Turkish dishes in the hotel's kitchen. We then enjoyed the meal we prepared in the dinning room. We we also provided with printed copies of... More

The best hotel ever! Very well located in Old Town. Rooms were quite lovely with all needed amenities. Breakfast was wonderful! But what made this the best hotel was the staff. In particular, Naz who helped my friend and I with a two day plan for the city and Erhan who handled the shuttle reservations as well as printing our... More

Spent a few nights in the Arena Hotel on a recent visit to Istanbul. This hotel is centrally located in Sultanahmet very close to Blue Mosque and Haga Sophia and is the perfect spot for exploring the area.The hotel was tastefully decorated and very clean. We had a concern in the bathroom as the bath was extremely high-sided and would... More

I reckon the hotel is great value for your money. The location of the hotel is great and their breakfrust had a nice variety. Clean rooms and friendly staff. The major drawback of the hotel is their receptionists. They felt more like sellers. Their are very helpful as long as you are interested in their options which they make money... More

We reserved this hotel for 4 nights in April 2013 based on good reviews by others. It lived up to its great reputation. It is on the hill leading up to the Hippodrome and Blue Mosque, so is very well located for walking in Old Istanbul. On a quiet street, but across the road from a small mosque, which means... More

We were overwhelmed by the welcome,and appreciated advice on what to visit and how to get there from all the staff at the hotel. It is a cosy establishment which is beautifully furnished- the lounges and bedrooms- with fantastic antiques, pictures of the historical home and memoribilia of the original owners. A highly recomended hotel which is within walking distance... More

Last week I had the pleasure of staying in the historic family-run Arena Hotel for the third time, and it reinforced all my good previous impressions. The staff is so kind ("Welcome!"), helpful and knowledgeable about all to see and do in wonderful and safe Instanbul. I mean, how often does a seated man rise to his feet with a... More

This is an absolute gem in Istanbul. About 2 mins walk from the Blue Mosque with all the sights very nearby. The staff are outstanding and incredibly nice. Nothing is too much trouble. They arranged transfers to airport and back, sightseeing trips etc with no trouble. One thing to bear in mind; if your room is facing the mosque; literally... More